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1) Columbia - home to my alma mater, THE University of South Carolina. An often underrated city that offers a great deal of options, whether it be outdoors activities (kayaking / tubing the river, Lake Murray, Harbison Forest, Congaree National Park), shopping, dining, arts, music (improving), sports (USC, of course, but also potential for future minor league team). Plus, Columbia has easy access to most areas of the state. Try living in Greenville and getting to the beach- considerably longer drive.

2) Charleston - Sorry, spareparts...even with the influx of Ohioans (go back!!!) Charleston is still a great place to be. Multiple beaches (I'm partial to Folly), history, great dining, shopping, music, arts...it has it all. Well, everything except USC and easy access to other parts of the state...

3) Greenville - Putting it #3 seems like a slight, but it's only by default, simply because I think that highly of the cities above it. Greenville is a thriving Southern city with a wonderful downtown area and a growing economy.

Aside from South Carolina sports...there is absolutely nothing in Columbia that interests me...concrete jungle.

Charleston is my girlfriends favorite place in the world but I just don't understand why. It's expensive as F to do anything there and all I have ever encountered is snobbery and douchery that only comes from money. I'm not a fan of beaches, I'm a mountains guy.

Never been to Greenville but I hear their craft beer scene is really good...and in the greater area Anderson has a nice little downtown area

I've lived in Columbia and Charleston (living in Charleston now) and Charleston just has a lot more to do. I love living down here and having more than 1 option of what to do any given night. Columbia is laid back and has the feel of a small community even as the biggest city in SC. I like both Columbia and Charleston, for different reasons. Haven't spent a lot of time in Greenville.

I've lived in Columbia and Charleston (living in Charleston now) and Charleston just has a lot more to do. I love living down here and having more than 1 option of what to do any given night. Columbia is laid back and has the feel of a small community even as the biggest city in SC. I like both Columbia and Charleston, for different reasons. Haven't spent a lot of time in Greenville.

Part of the reason I didn't want criteria is to see where the conversation would go. Cities have so many dimensions, I wanted to let it flow freely.

Having lived in two out of the three (cola and Charleston), I would say this:

I love Charleston, but I feel it is more of a great place to visit rather than live. Columbia is a perfect location for me, beaches are close, mountains are close and I can make it to a major city very quickly if needed.

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"We played the State Championship in a place called Death Valley," he said. "I looked up in the fourth quarter and the only ones still alive were the Gamecocks."--SOS

I've lived in Columbia and Charleston while in college and in the upstate (Gaffney) as a new graduate. Charleston just has all I'm looking for in a city! Food and drink, history, atmosphere and "It"... Just wish it didn't have the threat of earthquakes and hurricanes.

I chose Charleston. I have lived here (including the surrounding area) for 11 years, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Always something to do, you can wear flip flops 11 of the 12 months of the year, and it's BEAUTIFUL!

I grew up in Columbia, lived there until 2003 when we moved here (at age 29). Only way I would live in Columbia again is if I could live on Lake Murray. And by that I mean walk out my back door and there is the lake.

Columbia-has everything you could ask for in a medium sized city, my biggest drawback is how spread out it is.
Greenville-from what I've seen it would be an okay place to live, there seems to be more of a community of Greenville.
Charleston-It's a city of 500000 built for 5000

I chose Charleston. I have lived here (including the surrounding area) for 11 years, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Always something to do, you can wear flip flops 11 of the 12 months of the year, and it's BEAUTIFUL!

I grew up in Columbia, lived there until 2003 when we moved here (at age 29). Only way I would live in Columbia again is if I could live on Lake Murray. And by that I mean walk out my back door and there is the lake.

I live across the street from Lake Murray. I'm usually jealous of my neighbors who are lakefront until I realize that their taxes are about 3 to 4 times higher than mine. I feel better after that.

Greenville but to be fair the parts of Charleston and Columbia I've spent any considerable time probably weren't the best representations. And I just hate Charleston. It's not the cities fault, personal reasons and experiences.

Columbia is easy to get scared off by the drive in, especially if you're coming in on 1 through West Cola. I've lived here since 98 when I started at USC and it's gotten better and better.

I would love to live in Charleston but it's very very expensive. Also the commute into town would be a lot tougher if I recall from my parents living in Summerville up til 2001. Downtown charleston does seem to be getting more for the tourists by the year. My memories of the surrounding area are "only" 10 or so years ago, and it seems IOP was a deserted island compared to what it is now.

Greenville is last on my list. To my knowledge it's smaller than Columbia in terms of built up area and doesn't have a lot of cool neat areas besides downtown. It does have the draw of a PF Changs and perhaps being somewhat cooler during the year. Any advantage over the other two Gvegas has is mitigated in my stereotyped mind with the Clemson fans that must run rampant and unchecked up there. Seriously, there should be a law. My opinion of Greenville is as stereotypical and knee jerk as it gets though. I know a lot of members on the board live up there.

In general I like living on some land and not really into a 1/4 acre lot in a neighborhood right now, although that may change. I currently live in Lexington (according to the Post Office, but it's pretty much Gilbert), just FYI.